​"It matters not how strait the gate,/How charged with punishments the scroll,/I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul” (Invictus by William Ernest Henry)

Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind is one of the most enduring works of LGBT young adult fiction. It is among the first popular YA books featuring two teenage girls falling in love and, most importantly of all, offering them a happy ending of sorts.

Annie will always be remembered as a key text in the canon of queer YA literature, both for its unflinching and honest portrayal of two girls falling in love but also because of the hopeful conclusion for Annie and Liza. In the twenty-five year anniversary edition, an interview with Nancy Friday explores how Annie might have differed if published for today's teens. Perhaps Liza would have struggled less with her same-sex attraction? Perhaps there would have been more visibility and understanding of LGBT issues? Undoubtedly the stories of some of the side characters would have been resolved differently. In some ways, Annie is very much of its time, yet because it is at its heart a simple love story, it ages remarkably well and in 2016 the text is still as enjoyable and accessible as ever.

While today's Annie might have been a different story, the book which exists can and should be read through fresh eyes by the teenagers of today. It showcases how things have advanced in terms of LGBT equality, offering a powerful reminder of attitudes towards queer identity which prevailed only twenty plus years ago. There are also core themes which have a timelessness which would resonate with any teenager picking up Annie in 2016. There's falling in love, the first blush of queer awakening and the butterflies of initial attraction which resonate as clearly now as they ever did. There is a familiarity in the uncertainty of experiencing same-sex attraction for the first time and the teenage fear of being something other is well communicated. There's an exploration of the very real challenges of first love and taking those first tentative steps towards physical intimacy, which should appeal to any young adult reader today.

The book is not just a worthy one, or one which should be read because it contributes something important to the body of queer YA contemporary literature. The book is worth reading because it's an enjoyable, captivating, charming story which should be enjoyed curled up on the sofa with the whole day to lose yourself in Liza and Annie's world. Both girls are eminently likable. Annie is bold and playful and draws Liza out of her shell. Liza doesn't angst over letting herself go and she cares passionately about perceived injustices both in and out of school. They compliment one another and for the most part their interactions are endearing and light-hearted. The first kiss takes them both by surprise in some ways and in other ways not at all. There is no big push away from one another, no rush to lay any blame and no desire to be apart from one another - any teenage angst over what the kiss means is deftly handled and the kissing continues as the relationship deepens. Both Annie and Liza recognise what they have together and while, in Liza's case at least, they may not yet fully understand it, neither one wants to lose it.

The understated nature of the kiss is perfectly aligned with the way the relationship between the two girls naturally develops. There is something unspoken between them from the first meeting, although Liza doesn't dwell on what that means - she simply recognises it just is. On a couple of occasions Annie begins to say something and then catches herself. There is a sense of both girls recognising there's something between them but not quite finding the right moment to explore what that actually means, until they find themselves kissing in the light of the setting sun. What is clear is that for Liza, this friendship is not like the others. From the outset, when Liza first takes a phone call from Annie, her heartbeat quickens and she's glad she's alone even though she can't put her finger on why Annie makes her react that way. The familiar signs of burgeoning attraction are clear to see and the reader roots for the two girls to have the courage to acknowledge the mutual attraction between them. The attraction continues to flouish as the two girls slowly fall in love. "Have you ever felt really close to someone? So close that you can't understand why you and the other person have two separate bodies, two separate skins?", Liza asks as she explores her growing attraction to Annie. There's an intensity and a speed to the relationship and the way the two girls fall hard and fast for one another, and it's a joy to be allowed to witness it as a reader.

There are unhappy moments for the girls and for other characters in the book. There's a close exploration of homophobia in schools and the difficulties faced by LGBT people in the eighties. There's also a slightly meta moment where the girls explore lesbian literature which brings them closer as a couple and to another couple in the story. Considering the impact Annie had on young queer girls of the time, one can imagine other young girls sharing the story of Liza and Annie in the same way Annie and Liza share stories of other women before them. Issues of coming out, class differences and religion are touched upon, dealt with fleetingly but with realism and a deft hand.

As important, enjoyable and captivating as ever it was - lose yourself in Annie and Liza's world and allow yourself to be thoroughly charmed by their love story. Highly recommended.